Cooking brings Iya Villania satisfaction

Now a mother of three, television host Iya Villania had to take the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle seriously.

For the television host, it means a good balance between eating well and enjoying a little bit of food even if it is something that we aren’t supposed to be indulging in too much.

During the video conference of her new cooking show Eat Well, Live Well. Stay Well on GMA, Iya encouraged people to try simplifying their food. “I think that’s the easiest way. If you can keep it simple, it’s better,” she said.

Eating vegetables is a no-brainer for Iya and Drew’s children Primo, Leon and Alana. Iya shared, “We like to show them that we eat gulay and fruits. Pechay is something they consume and I don’t even have to hide it.”

It was just recently, too, that Iya gained confidence to cook. “Kakaiba yung satisfaction niya. It’s just recently that I gained confidence. Mom cooks well. It’s really fulfilling and nice to be confident when you have a dish that you can offer when there’s a gathering.”

Cooking a healthy meal need not be complicated, just as long as it’s a dish that you love and is meant for everybody. At the end of the day, people also need to respect the food. “You can’t just make it because bahala na,” said chef Jose Sarasola, Iya’s cousin and co-host on the show.

Eat Well, Live Well. Stay Well aims to inspire audiences to cook simple yet tasty dishes within 10 minutes. Its pilot episode, which aired 8 January, featured Iya and chef Jose preparing the quick and low salt recipe of Shrimps in Roasted Vegetables.

“Being able to host a show like this and encourage people to eat well…. it’s something that I live by,” Iya said.

Eat Well, Live Well. Stay Well airs weekdays 11:20 a.m. on GMA.